Ref 0841
Clothes peg, wooden Admitted
Holds as it always held. The wood is greyed on one side from weather and pale on the other, which is the whole of its distinction. Accessioned without cleaning, spring left as found.
Department No. I · Thursdays 11.00–14.00
Admitted, and declined with reasons.
Every Thursday between eleven and two the Registrar sits in Room 1 · Floor 2 and looks at what has been brought in. Most weeks three or fewer objects are admitted; the rest are declined in writing, with reasons, and the refusals are kept with equal care.
On this page
- Sitting of Thursday last — three objects admitted.
- Declined, with reasons — four objects returned, in the exact wording of refusal.
- How to offer an object — bring it without a story; nothing perishable by post.
Sitting of Thursday lastRefs 0841–0843
Three admitted.
Examined between 11.00 and 14.00, measured twice, and written down the same day. Notes are not revised later.
Ref 0842
Ticket stub, rain-smudged Admitted
The ink has run where the rain reached it, so the seat number survives and the date does not. Kept for the smudge, which records the weather of the evening better than the printing recorded the event.
Ref 0843
Teaspoon, stainless, unmarked Admitted
The second of its line to be accessioned, admitted on the grounds that no two teaspoons are alike and neither is worth describing twice. Weighed, measured, and placed in store.
Declined, with reasons
Declined 1
Pebble, with face Declined
Wording of refusal. “Too lucky. The face merely confirmed it.”
A lucky object has already been remarked upon, and remarked upon objects are outside the remit.
Declined 2
Nail, bent Declined
Wording of refusal. “Too interesting. The donor praised it, which settled the matter.”
Anything broken in an interesting way fails the test of ordinariness; praise from the donor confirms the failure.
Declined 3
Bottle, plastic boast-bottle Declined
Wording of refusal. “Declined. The word ‘quirky’ disqualifies.”
By standing order, anything anybody has ever described as quirky is ineligible, without further examination.
Declined 4
Cheese, perishable Declined
Wording of refusal. “Perishable. Returned. Nothing perishable by post.”
The post is accepted, save anything perishable. Perishable matter cannot be accessioned and will not be kept.
- Admitted
- Refs 0841 to 0843: clothes peg, ticket stub, teaspoon. The catalogue.
- Declined
- Four objects declined in writing, with reasons, and entered in the shadow-register. Standing orders.
How to offer an object
Bring it in person on a Thursday, between 11.00 and 14.00, and bring it without a story. Do not send anything perishable by post. Nothing offered can be returned once accessioned, and nothing declined will be reconsidered: the decision is final. Dust is data, so do not clean what you bring.
No. I · A
The Catalogue
All 48 on display, with measurements, provenance, and the unrevised first note.
No. I · B
Standing Orders
The one test of ordinariness, recording method, and the rule about dust.
No. I · C
Visiting
The room, the bench, the three handleable items, and Thursday hours for offerings.